Wade is a better player than arenas, no doubt, but I'm not sure he's any more clutch after those two missed free throws. people have a short memory and don't remember how clutch arenas was in round one.

F_CK DWYANE WADE! I'm tired of people saying "thanks god for letting me do this". if god is paying attention to your game and not the dying sudanese or iraqis etc etc then god is a douchebag. I am awed by dwade but don't like him as a person

Great win by the Heat! The Mavs will have plenty of chances over the next few years.

I dunno about this. I was thinking it over, watching Game 6, and it seems like this is the most lucrative run Dallas could have made. Stackhouse (who, aside from Terry, was the Dallas MVP during the series) is only getting older... and I believe will only be effective for another couple of years before his knee drags him down. Harris will get better, as will Diop... but Nowitski and Terry have peaked... and Josh Howard (who seemed more effective on the defensive end than in a scoring role) didn't seem like the sort of "heir to Dirk" some fans have expected out of him. He seems like the kind of player who needs to be a sidekick.

All in all, I see Dallas sliding back down like the hill like the Little Engine That Couldn't. It won't be an immediate tailspin to the ground (like the post-Jordan Bulls); it'll be more subtle... kinda like how the Sacramento Kings are declining. This season seemed like Dallas' year and it wasn't. I don't expect a championship for Dirk in the near future unless that organization swings a major trade outta Terry/Howard for a younger (more talented) star.

Wade may be better than Arenas but not by much. Arenas is a great player

Gilbert Arenas can't hold a prayer to Dwayne Wade. If Miami had Arenas instead of Wade, they wouldn't have beat Jersey. That's the truth.

All in all, I see Dallas sliding back down like the hill like the Little Engine That Couldn't. It won't be an immediate tailspin to the ground (like the post-Jordan Bulls); it'll be more subtle... kinda like how the Sacramento Kings are declining. This season seemed like Dallas' year and it wasn't. I don't expect a championship for Dirk in the near future unless that organization swings a major trade outta Terry/Howard for a younger (more talented) star.

I don't expect them to fall like the Kings, although I agree that they will have to make moves to remain in the title hunt for long. But Cuban is that kind of owner. He has shown time and time again that he cares for the wins more than his pockets, so I expect them to remain a contender and, when they really start to decline, make those moves.

Of course, it will be harder next year. This was their big shot towards glory... and they missed it.

The Maloofs (while not nearly as extreme as Cuban) showed an incredible interest and zest for their basketball club... until things went sour. Right now, the brothers are toying with the notion of moving the team elsewhere. Cuban's been great during his time in Dallas because the Mav's are always in the hunt... but how will he react when they drop off...?

Cuban's been great during his time in Dallas because the Mav's are always in the hunt... but how will he react when they drop off...?

Selling and buying the Warriors?

btw, I forgot to add my take on the Arenas-Wade comparison. It's moronic to compare both players at this time. Wade is only sort of a better shot (and a bit more clutchness) of becoming the best player of the league, whilst Arenas is "just" an all-star. It's like comparing the best Shaq with ... Yao.

The Mavs are still quite young and players like Howard, Harris and Daniels will only get better. Nowitzki is not even 30 yet, as is Terry. The Mavs get by with less than average Centers and they are still a dominant team. With Avery Johnson only getting better as a coach, the Mavs will only get better. The Mavs should be in the top 4 teams in the nba for the next 4 or 5 years!

As far as Wade and Arenas - Wade is super great but Arenas is great in his own right! Not many score like Arenas does against the majority of the oppositions defense. Arenas is a large reason why Jamison had arguably his best season. Without Arenas, the Wizards would have been one of the 5 worst teams in the nba!

Wade is better than arenas but arenas is arguably a top 10-15 player in the nba right now

Cuban's been great during his time in Dallas because the Mav's are always in the hunt... but how will he react when they drop off...?

Selling and buying the Warriors?

btw, I forgot to add my take on the Arenas-Wade comparison. It's moronic to compare both players at this time. Wade is only sort of a better shot (and a bit more clutchness) of becoming the best player of the league, whilst Arenas is "just" an all-star. It's like comparing the best Shaq with ... Yao.

WHERE DId THIS ARENAS ARGUMENT START?? WADE IS OBVIOUSLY BETTER THAN ARENAS! ALL I SAID WAS THAT WADE WASNT NECCESARILY MORE CLUTCH THAN ARENAS

Weighing in on the series, it seems clear to me that
A) Wade is hugely clutch, perhaps the most since MJ in a finals
B) Dirk did a soft Euro Noshowski in the 4th quarters and cannot create his own shot. It was kind of pathetic to watch him frantically setting high screens for Jason Terry instead of demanding the ball and taking it to the rim
C) Avery could never solve how to GET Dirk his shot after Miami adjusted in game three - seems like Riles outcoached him.
D) Dallas is not a particularly good passing team (look at their low assist totals), and Miami plays better 1 on 1 ball than does Dallas
E) The officiating is a farce. I don't see it as substantially favoring one team or another, but the old slow geezers don't have the advantage of instant replay, blow between 30-40% of the calls and clearly, the coaches should get a challenge or two a game. If they lose, they lose a timeout, if they win, the call is reversed - you know, the clear compelling evidence, like a guy getting called for a foul when his face fouls someone's elbow.
F) Shaq should buy D Wade a mansion in Boca Raton, cause the MVP's heroics saved Shaq from well-deserved opprobrium for his skunklike foulshooting - beyond disgraceful.
G) Miami is very old, and I would wager a quite potent sum they do not repeat, D Wade or no...

To Live is A Value Judgment - Albert Camus
3 reasons for living: Jazz, Hoops and women